Freshman Rachel Friedman scored her second goal of the game with 1:48 remaining in regulation and the nationally fourth-ranked Hamilton women’s lacrosse team held on for an 8-7 win against ninth-ranked Cortland Tuesday afternoon at the SUNY Cortland Stadium Complex.Freshman Maria Di Fato led Cortland (2-1) with a pair of goals. Sophomore Kelly Radigan recorded a goal and three assists, and seniors Jess Fritz and Nicki Mahoney, junior Bri Shost and sophomore Lindsay Abbott each scored once. Freshman goalie Ally Levy made six saves.
Junior Sarah Bray led Hamilton (4-0) with two goals and two assists. Seniors Liz Rave and Hilary Saverin, junior Anne Graveley and freshman Hannah Hoar netted one goal apiece. Friedman also contributed an assist to go with her two goals. Senior goalie Kate Fowler registered nine saves.
The largest lead in the game was a 2-0 advantage for Hamilton on goals from Friedman and Bray at 25:15 and 24:40. Di Fato and Mahoney answered for Cortland to knot the game up at 2-2 with 16:38 remaining in the opening half. The teams then traded the next four goals and the game was tied at 4-4 at the half.
Cortland grabbed its only lead of the game 1:47 into the second half when Radigan assisted on Fritz’s goal. The Continentals, however, responded with three straight goals -- one each from Graveley, Bray and Hoar -- and Hamilton led 7-5 with 6:20 remaining. Just over a minute later, Abbott pulled Cortland to within one goal on an unassisted tally and Shost evened the score up off Campese’s assist at 3:21.
Friedman then scored the game winner on an individual effort with less than two minutes remaining. The Continentals won the ensuing draw control but turned the ball over with one minute remaining. Cortland successfully cleared the ball and had a chance at the tying goal with 20 seconds left, but a shot by Campese from the right side went just wide. Hamilton was awarded possession and ran out the remainder of the clock to earn the win.